Karin Ford, MSPS Iowa Department of Public Health

1. Establishing Accessible General Population Shelters Appalachian Inclusive Emergency Preparedness ConferencePrestonsburg, KentuckyOctober 14 –15, 2011 Karin Ford, MSPS Iowa Department of Public Health Photo courtesy of FEMA/Patsy Lynch

2. Overview • Emergency Management and American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA) • Identifying shelter locations • Temporary modifications • Training shelter staff • Identifying partnerships

3. Low Hanging Fruit • Accessible general population shelters can be achieved • Resource typing • Work with shelter partners • Task accomplished • Keep maintained

4. 911 Society • Most people don’t have a disaster plan • Unless they work in the field or experienced a disaster • Dial 911 in an emergency • Don’t make the distinction of large or small, only immediate – only me • Common belief that emergency responders and emergency management are the same • Perpetuates the rescue mentality • Maintains routine

5. Emergency Management and Planning • Emergency managers attempt to plan for people with access and functional needs • Become overwhelmed and fall back into routine • Plan with the infrastructure still in place • We’ll send “them” to the hospital • Don’t believe they have people with disabilities in their communities

6. Bringing Access and Functional Needs to the Planning Table • Takes the scary out of disability planning • Reality disability is a normal part of the aging process • Quit trying to plan for each specific disability • Think in terms of food, water, accessible shelter, communication, and transportation • Identify resources and partners, don’t try and reinvent

7. Title II of the ADA and Disaster Planning • Requires that programs, services and activities directly provided by state and local governments, and third parties must meet access and functional needs • The ADA also requires making reasonable accommodations to policies practices and procedures when necessary to avoid discrimination

8. Where to Begin • Survey sites on current list • Determine desirability • Determine if temporary modifications can improve accessibility • Resource inventory

9. Four Main Areas • Parking • Entrance • Common Areas • Bathroom/shower • Routinely start in the parking lot and work in • Recommend finding accessible bathrooms and work out with temporary modifications

10. Accessible Parking • Follows ADAAG

11. Number of Accessible Spaces • 1 to 25 – 1 • 26 to 50 – 2 • 51 to 75 – 3 • 76 to 100 – 4 • 101 to 150 – 5 • 151 to 200 – 6 • 201 to 300 – 7 • 301 to 400 – 8 • 401 to 500 – 9 • 501 to 1000 – 2 percent of total • 1001 and over – 20 plus 1 for each 100 over 1000

12. Temporary Parking • Three stalls = two accessible • Use the middle as an access aisle • Accessible side walk • Close to entrance • Flat surface

13. Temporary Parking

14. Orange Cone • Block access aisle • Easily moved • Temporary

15. Temporary Upright Signage • Print and laminate • Post on temporary stand • Post high enough

16. Ramps • Can be temporary • Must meet ADA specifications • Not like the photo • Need Handrails on both sides if • over 6 inches high • 72 inches long • No ski slopes

17. Entrance • Exterior doors follow local fire code • Automatic openers are not required • 32 inch clear opening • Sidewalk leading up to 36 inches • Signage to accessible entrance

18. Common Areas • Sleeping • Eating • All goods and services on one level, unless working accessible elevator • Signage and warning systems accessible • Quiet room is desirable • Path of travel

19. Adequate Space • 40 square feet per person • Generally need 80 square feet for access and functional needs • Medicots are higher and wider • Service animals • Reserve wall space – use for stability, ease of transfer • Near exit

20. Bathroom/Shower • Both need to be accessible • Toilet – can use riser to meet minimum height of 17 – 19 inches • Temporary grab bars, must hold up to 250 lbs • Transfer benches for showers • Handheld or adjust features • Purchase insulation for sink pipes at big box stores • Soap and towels on counters

21. Bathroom

22. Sink

23. Service Animals • Perform a task to mitigate effects of a disability • Always travel with their human partner • Do not need to be registered or show proof • Can only remove if the service animal posses a threat or is not housebroke • If you are asked to take the dog, take the leash not the harness or they will think they are on duty Photo courtesy of Mary R. Vogt

24. Medical Shelters • Must be staffed with doctors, nurses and trained personnel • Best case scenario, pre-established transfer locations at same level of care before disaster • Need medical shelters so hospitals are not overwhelmed

25. Shelter Staff Training • Understand the anatomy of a disaster • Incident Command • National Incident Management System • How to support people with access and functional needs in the shelter • Personal/family preparedness • Donations management

26. Resources • Maintain a resource list for assistive technology, durable medical equipment, consumable medical goods, medications • Within the area and out • Identify needs at intake and send to logistics • Partner with community providers

27. Resource/Coalition Building In Kentucky • Search online for community provider associations • Begin partnership/coalition building • Find experts in the field who can answer questions • Kentucky Provider Directory • Kentucky Commission on Community Volunteerism and Service

28. Lessons Learned from Emergency Managers • Plan for separate shelters – mobility, low to no hearing, low to no vision • Have to pay for modifications of shelter • Liability • Find one that is receptive, the rest will follow

29. I Wish It Were This Easy

30. Take Away • Stop planning for disability specific • Plan using the access and functional needs approach • Establish partnerships with providers • Educate each other • Everyone has something to offer

31. How Am I Going to Remember All This? • ADA Homepage has toolkits and checklists http://ada.gov/shleterck.htm • FNSS Guidance • Department of Justice technical assistance (800) 514-0301 voice • Call me

32. Questions?/Contact Information Karin Ford Iowa Department of Public Health Lucas State Office Building 321 E. 12th Street Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0075 Karin.Ford@idph.iowa.gov 515-242-6336